Top 10: Must-See Locales In Canada

Number 2

Quebec City - Quebec

One visit to Quebec City's amazing Old Town (Vieux Quebec) provides ample proof of Canada's good fortune in having two unique cultures. As a bonus, it's also the home of beloved Bonhomme Carnaval, the jolly snowman mascot of the Quebec Winter Carnival, the city's famous giant winter festival.

The famed Chateau Frontenac presides majestically over the old city, and to get away, pastoral Ile d'Orleans is a great place to stock up on obscure maple products. At night, check out L'Ozone bar on the Grande Allee, and dine at one of countless romantic bistros in Vieux Quebec. Truth be told, Quebec City is pretty conducive to pedestrians, but you'll need a couple of days to fully experience the narrow cobblestone roads and cultural flavor.

Must-see: For shelter, those who are immune to the charms of Motel 8 can try Ice Hotel Quebec-Canada, where everything is sculpted out of ice. I assume they provide a blanket or two.

Number 1

Banff/Lake Louise - Alberta

Downtown Banff can seem contrived and touristy, but it's a necessary evil considering the astounding sights the western Alberta town has to offer. The mountains of Banff National Park are truly staggering, and the serene beauty of reflecting Lake Louise routinely inspires countless morons to spontaneously vow to quit their jobs and move to a cabin in the woods to write a two-volume historic novel.

The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is worth a visit even if you can't afford to stay there (and you probably can't), and the nearby Banff Hot Springs is an awesome place to soothe your sore skiing muscles. Speaking of skiing, the bar scene hops during ski season — catch a dodgy cover band at Rose & Crown, or join the underground meat market at Hoodoo Lounge and mingle among a parade of university-aged resort workers taking a year off to "find themselves."

Must-see: Banff is home to three behemoth public ski clubs — Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine — that offer enough variety in their hills to satisfy both uncoordinated amateurs and Olympic hopefuls.

honorable mention

Jasper - Alberta

Jasper, located a little more than three hours north of Banff (by car), offers a platter of spectacular sights and great skiing that is strikingly similar to its flashier neighbor. Jasper is ideal for the traveler looking for the substance of Banff minus the touristy sheen. Like Banff, Jasper has several outstanding ski hills, a hot springs site and even some sparkling Lake Louise-esque lakes — Pyramid and Patricia.

Jasper National Park is a back-countryman's wet dream, with over 660 miles of relatively untrammeled trails scattered among the glaciers. Make no mistake — Jasper is a place to reflect, not party. Jasper's restaurants tend toward the usual mix of regional game, steaks and seafood, but the Caledonia Grill is an exception, with some Asian and European flavors providing some much-needed variety.

Must-see: Athabasca Falls are among the most powerful falls in the Rocky Mountains — during the summer, the water surges through an opening to create a rainbow-glazed hue, while in the wintertime, wicked glacial ice formations take hold.

visiting canada, eh

If Canada didn't seem enormous enough already, consider that the places listed above are all located in the country's southernmost regions. If you really want to see all of Canada, you'd have to snowshoe all the way up to the North Pole and back across to the Yukon Territory. I'm advising you to put off those plans until AskMen.com can scrape together its "Top 10 Locales In Nunavut & Baffin Island" list.